CDROM/AJ/V110/P0880 Radio Reference Frame (Johnston+ 1995) ================================================================================ A Radio Reference Frame Kenneth J. Johnston, Alan L. Fey, Norbert Zacharias, Jane L. Russell, Chopo Ma, Christian de Vegt, John E. Reynolds, David L. Jauncey, Brent A. Archinal, Merri Sue Carter, Thomas E. Corbin, T. Marshall Eubanks, David R. Florkowski, David M. Hall, Dennis D. McCarthy, Peter M. McCulloch, Edward A. King, George Nicolson, & David B. Shaffer <1995, AJ, 110, 880> =1995AJ....110..880J ================================================================================ Abstract: A catalogue is presented based on the radio positions of 436 extragalactic sources distributed over the entire sky. The positional accuracy of the sources is better than 3 milliarcsec (mas) in both coordinates, with the majority of the sources having errors better than 1 mas. This catalogue is based upon a general solution of all applicable dual frequency 2.3 and 8.4 GHz Mark-III VLBI data available through the end of 1993 consisting of 1,015,292 pairs of group delay and phase delay rate observations. Details and positions are also given for an additional 124 objects that either need further observation or are currently unsuitable for the definition of a reference frame. The final orientation of the catalogue has been obtained by a rotation of the positions into the system of the International Earth Rotation Service and is consistent with the FK5 J2000.0 optical system, within the limits of the link accuracy. File Summary: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- File Name Lrecl Records Explanations -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- table4.dat 136 436 Radio positions of sources used to define the reference frame table5.dat 136 124 Radio positions of candidate and other sources table6.dat 51 53 Sources observed unsuccessfully table9.dat 122 614 Supplementary source identification -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Byte-by-byte Description of file: table4.dat -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bytes Format Units Label Explanations -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1- 2 2X --- --- Blank 3 I1 --- Class *Source Classification 4-12 9X --- --- Blank 13-20 A8 --- Name Source Name 21-27 7X --- --- Blank 28-29 I2 h RAh J2000.0 Right Ascension 30 1X --- --- Blank 31-32 I2 min RAm J2000.0 Right Ascension 33-36 4X --- --- Blank 37-45 F9.6 s RAs J2000.0 Right Ascension 46-49 4X --- --- Blank 50-57 F8.6 s e_RA *J2000.0 Right Ascension Formal Error 58-61 4X --- --- Blank 62 A1 --- DE- J2000.0 Declination Sign 63 1X --- --- Blank 64-65 I2 deg DEd J2000.0 Declination 66 1X --- --- Blank 67-68 I2 arcmin DEm J2000.0 Declination 69-72 4X --- --- Blank 73-80 F8.5 arcsec DEs J2000.0 Declination 81-84 4X --- --- Blank 85-91 F7.5 arcsec e_DE *J2000.0 Declination Formal Error 92-94 3X --- --- Blank 95-100 F6.3 yr Mean Mean Epoch of Observation (Epoch-1900) 101-103 3X --- --- Blank 104-109 F6.3 yr First Epoch of First Observation (Epoch-1900) 110-112 3X --- --- Blank 113-118 F6.3 yr Last Epoch of Last Observation (Epoch-1900) 119-122 4X --- --- Blank 123-127 I5 --- Nexp Number of experiments in which a source was observed 128-131 4X --- --- Blank 132-136 I5 --- Nobs Number of delay/rate observations used in solution -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Notes for file: table4.dat -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Class: 1,2-defining; 3-candidate; 4,5-other; 6-not detected e_RA, e_DE: The formal errors refer to a position based on all observations of a source, which is different from the level of accuracy expected from only one observation or experiment. Systematic errors are estimated to be at the 0.5 mas level. The right ascension formal error for 0420-014 was taken from the CTF solution because the right ascension of this source was fixed in the ICF solution to its a priori value in order to define the equinox. Consequently, the right ascension uncertainty of 0420-014 should be added in quadrature to the right ascension uncertainties of the remaining sources. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Byte-by-byte Description of file: table5.dat -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bytes Format Units Label Explanations -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1- 2 2X --- --- Blank 3 I1 --- Class *Source Classification 4-12 9X --- --- Blank 13-20 A8 --- Name Source Name 21-27 7X --- --- Blank 28-29 I2 h RAh J2000.0 Right Ascension 30 1X --- --- Blank 31-32 I2 min RAm J2000.0 Right Ascension 33-36 4X --- --- Blank 37-45 F9.6 s RAs J2000.0 Right Ascension 46-49 4X --- --- Blank 50-57 F8.6 s e_RA *J2000.0 Right Ascension Formal Error 58-61 4X --- --- Blank 62 A1 --- DE- J2000.0 Declination Sign 63 1X --- --- Blank 64-65 I2 deg DEd J2000.0 Declination 66 1X --- --- Blank 67-68 I2 arcmin DEm J2000.0 Declination 69-72 4X --- --- Blank 73-80 F8.5 arcsec DEs J2000.0 Declination 81-84 4X --- --- Blank 85-91 F7.5 arcsec e_DE *J2000.0 Declination Formal Error 92-94 3X --- --- Blank 95-100 F6.3 yr Mean Mean Epoch of Observation (Epoch-1900) 101-103 3X --- --- Blank 104-109 F6.3 yr First Epoch of First Observation (Epoch-1900) 110-112 3X --- --- Blank 113-118 F6.3 yr Last Epoch of Last Observation (Epoch-1900) 119-122 4X --- --- Blank 123-127 I5 --- Nexp Number of experiments in which a source was observed 128-131 4X --- --- Blank 132-136 I5 --- Nobs Number of delay/rate observations used in solution -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Notes for file: table5.dat -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Class: 1,2-defining; 3-candidate; 4,5-other; 6-not detected e_RA, e_DE: The formal errors refer to a position based on all observations of a source, which is different from the level of accuracy expected from only one observation or experiment. Systematic errors are estimated to be at the 0.5 mas level. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Byte-by-byte Description of file: table6.dat -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bytes Format Units Label Explanations -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1- 2 2X --- --- Blank 3 I1 --- Class *Source Classification 4-12 9X --- --- Blank 13-20 A8 --- Name Source Name 21-27 7X --- --- Blank 28-29 I2 h RAh J2000.0 Right Ascension 30 1X --- --- Blank 31-32 I2 min RAm J2000.0 Right Ascension 33 1X --- --- Blank 34-37 F4.1 s RAs J2000.0 Right Ascension 38-41 4X --- --- Blank 42 A1 --- DE- J2000.0 Declination Sign 43 1X --- --- Blank 44-45 I2 deg DEd J2000.0 Declination 46 1X --- --- Blank 47-48 I2 arcmin DEm J2000.0 Declination 49 1X --- --- Blank 50-51 I2 arcsec DEs J2000.0 Declination -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Byte-by-byte Description of file: table9.dat -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bytes Format Units Label Explanations -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1- 8 A8 --- Name Source Name 9-11 3X --- --- Blank 12-14 A3 --- ID *Optical ID 15-17 3X --- --- Blank 18-22 F5.3 --- z []? Redshift 23-25 3X --- --- Blank 26-30 F5.2 mag mv []? Visual Magnitude 31-33 3X --- --- Blank 34-37 F4.1 Jy S6cm []? 6cm Radio Flux Density 38-48 11X --- --- Blank 49-72 A24 --- Alt Alternate Name(s) 73 1X --- --- Blank 74-122 A49 --- Ref Reference -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Notes for file: table9.dat -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ID: QSO = quasar, BSO = blue stellar object, GAL = galaxy, LAC = BL Lac object, EF = empty field -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ================================================================================ (End) Lee Brotzman [ADS] 27-Sep-1995